§ DR. KENNY (Dublin, College Green)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the principle long in practice at examinations of the Irish Medical Licensing Bodies of having at their examinations assessors who are watchful equally of the interests of the candidates and of medical education has received the approval of the General Medical Council; whether he is aware that that body, which is the highest authority on medical education, and the recognised guardian of medical interests, has recommended its general adoption at medical examinations; whether he will recommend the Army Medical Authorities to adopt the principle at the examinations of the Army Medical Board; and whether, to give it practical effect, and at the same time to remove the feelings of apprehension, now existing in Irish and Scotch medical educational circles, of danger to the interests of their respective schools, aroused by the recent change in the system of conducting the examinations of the Army Medical Board, whereby the said examinations are entrusted entirely to four representatives of the English Colleges, he will appoint four medical assessors to assist in future at those examinations, two of whom shall be 774 representatives of the Irish Colleges, and two of the Scotch Colleges?
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN,) Stirling, &c.I am aware both of the practice in Ireland and of the recommendation of the General Medical Council that, at the final examination for admission to the medical profession, assessors should be present, and should satisfy themselves that the education of candidates has been up to the proper standard. There is no necessity for such assessors in the examination for admission to the Army Medical Staff; for the examination is merely a competition for admission to that Service between candidates who have already fully qualified as medical men.
§ DR. KENNYsaid, the right hon. Gentleman had not answered the last part of the question, as to the feeling of apprehension in Ireland and Scotland.
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid, the question turned on the appointment of assessors, and he had stated that their services were not necessary in the case of admission to the Army, though they were availed of when candidates were originally admitted to the medical profession.
§ DR. KENNYsaid, that the Army examination was a competitive one, and asked whether it was not desirable to have medical assessors to prevent injustice being done?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid, that assessors were employed to see that examinations did not sink beneath a proper level—not to see that they were honest.
§ *DR. KENNYI beg pardon, hut that is not so.